VERY Newbie Question...

[itschris]

Hey Guys, I'm 29 years old, living in so cal, and I'm married with a baby on the way etc... and with the economy the way it is, I'm thinking of investing and use for self defense in our home.

As You can see I am new to guns, but have friends who have some. I would like to start off in the right direction into owning a Shotgun, pistol, and an AR.

My question is, How or where do I go about starting to own a gun ? What permits or licenses do I need to get? Any test I need to take?

I pretty much want to start and get all my licenses, so in a case I buy a Gun from this marketplace forum or Say; Bass pro shop or turners, I will already be ready to go and not wait for permits or licenses.

I've searched this forum but was unable to find anything concreate and was able to search the net but havent really seen, pretty much a step by step what needs to be done for me to own a gun.

Thanks for your time and looking foward to contributing more to this forum !

Chris

[Dr Rockso]

You don't need anything in advance, the shop will take care of everything. When buying a handgun bring an additional document (other than driver's license) as proof of residency...car registration, utility bill, etc... You will also need to take a ridiculously easy 25 question test when buying a handgun. You'll fill out a federal 4473 form, the dealer will do CA dealer record of sale (DROS) on the computer, and you will be able to pick your gun up 10 days later.

[Cyc Wid It]

1. Ten day waiting period.
2. $25 fee for background check.
3. Clean criminal and mental health record.
4. Valid California Driver’s License or California Identification Card.

For a handgun:

Handgun safety certificate. http://ag.ca.gov/firearms/hscinfo.php
This means that you will need to take and pass a 30-question test, in the store, to receive this certificate. There is a $25 fee and it is good for five years. A hunting license is not acceptable. The exemptions are:

a. Active or retired peace officer.
b. Active or retired military (20 years and out).
c. Peculiar and limited authority peace officer.
d. CCW holders.
e. Certified firearm instructors.
f. FFL holders.

You need to be a California resident, and will need to prove your residency by providing ONE of the following items:
a. Rental or lease agreement.
b. Utility bill within the last three months.
c. Property deed.
d. Government license with expiration date.
e. Signed, dated and notarized rental agreement or contract.

When you purchase or pick up your firearm, you will need to perform a safety demonstration with the gun you are purchasing, in the store.
This requires that you follow all firearm safety rules, checking to see that the firearm is unloaded, remove a trigger lock from the gun, load one dummy round into the gun and chamber the round, and unload and relock the firearm.

Before leaving the store, you must have a California approved lock box, safe, or trigger lock for your firearm.

You will need to have your thumbprint taken

[leelaw]

You will need your CA driver's license or identification card to buy a shotgun. That's it.

Same for rifles.

For handguns, you need a residence verification (like a utility bill or vehicle registration) and a handgun safety certificate.

[itschris]

Thank you very much guys, sounds pretty self explanatory.

Is there any thing different or needs to be changed that needs to be done if I want to own an AR or Shotgun?

[itschris]

Nevermind leelaw just posted what I needed to hear for the rest. Thank you.

So, if I'm interested in a shotgun from someone in the market place.

We would need to go to a FFL for the transfer, and all I would need is my drivers license and pay the fees right?

I just want to at least know what I'm getting into before I jump into the water hehehe

Thanks again guys.

[Librarian]

And please read at least through the Wiki FAQs - link in my .sig, below.

[Cyc Wid It]

Also, if you are looking into purchasing a handgun from a store and not though a face to face private property transfer, it must be on this list:

http://certguns.doj.ca.gov/

Also, make sure you understand laws pertaining to AR-15/shotguns before you buy/build/modify. There are links at the top of the page that show the guidelines of what configurations are legal.

[RobG]

Welcome. First is that you are not a prohibited person, ie. a convicted felon, psychologically unstable, etc. Second you need a Handgun Safety Card to own a handgun. Its a basic safety test available at most gun stores. Nothing special needed to own a rifle/shotgun. Third would be someone you know that can show you safe handling of firearms or a course put on by the NRA or similar organization. After that, time to shop. There are differing opinions as to what makes the best home defense weapon. Since you will have a small child I suggest a safe or a steel locking box to contain the weapon. There are bunches out there you just have to decide what works for you. Good luck and safe shooting.

[tacticalcity]

I also recommend investing in some firearms training. I certainly do not want to scare you, but unlike on TV and in the Movies you can't just buy a gun and suddenly know how to use it. Checkout the COMPETITION & TRAINING Section on Calguns.net for a school in your area. In the Sacramento Area I recommend Stone Cobra Tactical Training. The instructors are all local law enforcement. The tactics and techniques you learn are up to date. They are all great guys with great personalities and in addition to making the courses both safe and relevant, also strike to make them as fun as possible. Most schools take that approach as well, so there is nothing to be intimidated by when taking a course from them.

[Cnynrat]

Re: VERY Newbie Question...

I second the training recommendation. Here in SoCal I recommended Firearms Training Associates. They offer a wide range of training - handgun, shotgun, and carbine. Once you've taken their general classes you can participate in their End of the Month club (last Sat. of every month), which is basically a 1/2 day shooting clinic for $25 - a great way to keep in practice.

[itschris]

hey guys, Great ! Thank you for all the informative information and fast responses. I will take all your opinions and information literally.

Jus a background on me hehe, I have a clean record with no felonies, no tickets, no fights etc..pretty much a clean slate.

Im located in So california, in the Corona Area.

Looking foward to reading more up and joining the ranks ! Thanks again !

[bsg]

I also recommend investing in some firearms training. I certainly do not want to scare you, but unlike on TV and in the Movies you can't just buy a gun and suddenly know how to use it. Checkout the COMPETITION & TRAINING Section on Calguns.net for a school in your area. In the Sacramento Area I recommend Stone Cobra Tactical Training. The instructors are all local law enforcement. The tactics and techniques you learn are up to date. They are all great guys with great personalities and in addition to making the courses both safe and relevant, also strike to make them as fun as possible. Most schools take that approach as well, so there is nothing to be intimidated by when taking a course from them.

+1....

[Sinixstar]

I notice you keep mentioning AR's specifically.

While there are paths to legal ownership of ARs and AKs and whatnot in CA - you would do yourself a huge favor by reading up on the matter and knowing what configurations are legal and which are not. It is extremely easy to start with a perfectly legal configuration, and with just one or two seemingly minor modifications, create an evil deadly killing machine (aka and assault rifle).

It's not a terribly difficult minefield to navigate, but it's one that could land you in some hot water if you screw up.

[shoupdawg]

All the fellas here are pretty spot in.

I'd suggest a shotgun and then a revolver. I've got a Sig 556 and AR for sale if you're interested. If you want to hike it out to the Valley, you can try them out and my other firearms.

Cheers.